ROCKINGHAM — With the filing deadline set for Friday at noon, multiple municipal seats across Richmond County remain open, drawing a mix of incumbents and challengers. From mayoral to town council races, voters will see a variety of names on the ballot this fall.
In Rockingham, Mayor John Hutchinson has filed for reelection and remains unopposed as of July 15. Three City Council seats — currently held by Gene Willard, Denise Sullivan and Debbie Wrenn — are also up for grabs. Wrenn, who was appointed in November 2024 following the resignation of the late Anne Edwards, is seeking her first full term. Sullivan has also filed for reelection, joined by challenger Greg Leberth.
Hamlet’s upcoming election will feature a competitive ballot as well, with Mayor Amy Guinn and Council members Eddie Martin and Tony Clewis all seeking reelection. Challengers Esco Latimer and Amber Daniels have also filed.
Dobbins Heights sees two seats on the ballot this year. Incumbent Angeline David has filed for reelection, while Tyre Holloway had not submitted paperwork as of July 15. The town’s municipal election will be held earlier than others, on Oct. 7.
In Hoffman, four candidates — Riccardo Anderson, Rory Kevin Jones, Daniel Kelly and April Watkins — have entered the race for Town Council. Incumbents Kyonna Jones and Cynthia Northcutt have not yet filed. Notably, no candidates have filed for mayor, including current Mayor Karla Bostick.
In Ellerbe, four seats are up for election, including the mayoral and three council positions. Lee Berry and Jeremy McKenzie have filed to run for mayor. Berry, co-owner of the Berry Patch, previously served three terms as mayor. He ended a county commissioner campaign in 2020 due to a family health matter.
“If you’re going to run for county commissioner, you need to be able to give 100% and at this time, I don’t feel I can do that,” Berry told the Journal in an interview from 2020.
McKenzie, who has served on the Ellerbe Town Council for nearly a decade, now seeks to lead the town as mayor. Current Mayor Brenda Capel and Council members Jean Fletcher and Bennett Hawks have yet to file. So far, Elsie Freeman is the only candidate to file for a council seat.
While the Dobbins Heights election is set for Oct. 7, voters in Rockingham, Hamlet, Hoffman and Ellerbe will head to the polls on Nov. 7.